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CONTRIBUTIONS For the May issue by Wednesday 4 May To Rowena Whiting Email: [email protected]. Phone: 6953 2612 April 2016 - Issue #236 Journal of the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists Inc. PO Box 541, LEETON 2705 ISSN-1327-1172 Website: www.mfn.org.au Email: [email protected] IN THIS ISSUE Office Bearers and Subscriptions ................................ 2 Observations ............................................................... 2 Glossy Black Cockatoo Count ...................................... 3 Other observations from the Glossy Black Cockatoo Count........................................................................... 4 Our Visit to Robbie’s Second Home ............................ 5 Lachlan Fold .............................................................. 6 Unusual Sightings in the Riverina ............................... 7 Members’ Sightings .................................................... 8 Meeting report from Lake Wyangan water project.... 9 Coming Events Calendar ........................................... 10 The Murrumbidgee Naturalist Objects of the Club To facilitate and promote the knowledge of natural history, and to encourage the preservation and protection of the Australian natural environment, especially that of the Murrumbidgee River Valley Male Glossy Black Cockatoo taken at a dam in the Brobenah Hills by Graham Russell Koala Count is on 17 April at Narrandera Common

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Page 1: The Murrumbidgee Naturalistmfn.org.au/files/2016_04 #236 MFN newsletter (1).pdf · The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 2 - Issue #236 April 2016 Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists Inc. Office

CONTRIBUTIONS

For the May issue by Wednesday 4 May

To Rowena Whiting

Email: [email protected].

Phone: 6953 2612

April 2016 - Issue #236 Journal of the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists Inc.

PO Box 541, LEETON 2705 ISSN-1327-1172

Website: www.mfn.org.au

Email: [email protected]

IN THIS ISSUE

Office Bearers and Subscriptions ................................ 2

Observations ............................................................... 2

Glossy Black Cockatoo Count ...................................... 3

Other observations from the Glossy Black Cockatoo Count ........................................................................... 4

Our Visit to Robbie’s Second Home ............................ 5

Lachlan Fold .............................................................. 6

Unusual Sightings in the Riverina ............................... 7

Members’ Sightings .................................................... 8

Meeting report from Lake Wyangan water project .... 9

Coming Events Calendar ........................................... 10

The Murrumbidgee Naturalist

Objects of the Club To facilitate and promote the knowledge of natural history, and to encourage

the preservation and protection of the Australian natural environment, especially that of the Murrumbidgee River Valley

Male Glossy

Black Cockatoo

taken at a

dam in the

Brobenah Hills

by

Graham Russell

Koala Count is on 17 April at Narrandera Common

Page 2: The Murrumbidgee Naturalistmfn.org.au/files/2016_04 #236 MFN newsletter (1).pdf · The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 2 - Issue #236 April 2016 Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists Inc. Office

The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 2 - Issue #236 April 2016

Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists Inc. Office Bearers and Annual Subscriptions

President: Max O’Sullivan 6953 4726 Editor: Rowena Whiting 6953 2612

Vice President: Nella Smith 6959 1210 Committee: Johanna Botman 6963 4855 Vice President: Eric Whiting 6953 2612 Phillip Williams 6953 3524 Vice President: Virginia Tarr 6962 5614 Betty Bradney 6959 2901

Secretary: Penny Williams 6953 3524 Treasurer: Phil Tenison 6953 4869 Website Co-ordinator: Phillip Williams 6953 3524

MEETINGS ARE HELD ON THE SECOND THURSDAY EACH MONTH, EXCEPT JANUARY, AT THE Yellow Room, Leeton Library, Sycamore Street at 7.30 PM FIELD TRIPS NORMALLY TAKE PLACE ON THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND.

INTENDING NEW MEMBERS, GUESTS AND VISITORS WELCOME.

Membership enquiries:

Leeton Eric Whiting 6953 2612 Griffith Virginia Tarr 6962 5614 Narrandera Nella Smith 6959 1210 Coleambally John Wilkinson 6954 4129

Annual Subscriptions: Family $45.00 Adult/Single $35.00 Journal only/Concession $25.00

Observations

From Neil Palframan - Photos of a kestrel family, adult and two chicks hatched and raised in a house under construction, they will have to go elsewhere next year.

From Melanie Baulch - On Saturday 2 April Meredith Butler and I visited Wattle Dam and were delighted with the birds that came to drink from the dam.

The usual birds turned up including a number of wonderfully coloured Mulga Parrots and Turquoise Parrots.

However three very majestic Glossy Black Cockatoos flew in @ 8.30am landing in nearby trees. They hung about for an hour, chatting to each other most of the time.

It was only the female that drank from the dam whilst we were there.

Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the policies or views of the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists Inc.

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The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 3 - Issue #236 April 2016

Glossy Black Cockatoo Count - 12 March 2016

We’d had 40 ml of rain in February so all the dams were full and it had been stinking hot since then so there were no puddles for the GBC to drink from.

As I set off north on the day of the count I could see smoke, dust and some almighty dark clouds to the north. By the time I arrived at my destination there was thunder and lightning, a dust storm and it started to rain.

My initial thought was “I’m not going”.

I’m not so easily beaten so I stopped on the corner of “Alabama” and the Barellan Road for a while. Amazingly the storm cleared up as fast as it had arrived. So I went back and proceeded to my dam with Liza the landholders daughter.

We had dam sitters in Binya, at Brobenah and in the Narrandera Hills.

11 birds were counted in the Brobenah Hills at two different dams, 2 at the base of Square Nob and one in Binya. We did not survey the Bogolong Hills this time. About 25 or 30 people were observing dams on the night.

My conclusions: The drought had a huge impact on the population and they are still recovering. (Or we don’t know where they are.) We counted 35 birds in 2004. 25 birds were counted in 2005. 8 birds were counted in 2012. We don’t know where they are drinking because they move across the landscape in response to food availability and drink and roost at the nearest dam.

The Brobenah and Narrandera Hills are hard to survey because there are a lot of farm dams and it is extremely rugged where the Allocasuarina verticilata grow which is the main food source for these birds. These birds will be limited by food resources and it explains why they are so highly endangered. The stronghold for these birds are Square Nob and the Brobenah Hills.

Common Bronzewing, Brown-headed Honeyeaters, Galahs, Peaceful Doves, Mallee Ringnecks, Red-rump Parrots, Apostlebirds, White-winged Choughs, Eastern Rosellas, Mulga Parrots, Turquoise Parrots, Magpie Larks, Spiny cheeked Honeyeaters, Striped Honeyeaters, Tree Martins as well as Kangaroos and Swamp Wallabies share the dams. Sometimes I have observed Echidnas and foxes.

Many thanks to all who participated and thanks to Dionee and Graham who hosted a gathering afterwards.

Nella Smith

[Our thanks go to Nella for organising this – many phone calls to landholders as well as allocating dams to people. Ed]

Photos by Lorna Mee

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The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 4 - Issue #236 April 2016

Graham and Dionee's Glossy Black Cockatoo count on 12 March at Peter Gleeson's property

We were at the two dams that are on the main drive through to the shearing shed and Peter went to a dam further along the valley.

Our Glossy count was two that drank at the dam we were sitting at. They flew in at 6:50 pm and were gone again at 7:05 pm heading back toward Middle Road and another 13 that drank at a very small dam closer back toward Collinroobie Road. We watched these fly off to the west over the quarry. Peter reported seeing three at the dam that he was on at around the same time as we saw the two that drank at our dam.

Other than the Glossies the most notable sighting was 5 Rainbow Bee-eaters that were hunting above the trees on the other side of the dam. Other sightings where:-

Peaceful Dove Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Little Raven Kookaburra Willie Wagtail Magpie Galah Western Gerygone Common Bronzewing White-browed Babblers Mallee Ringnecks

The Glossies that were sighted on Braemah on the 12th March drinking at three different dams on the same property within around a couple of kilometres of each other show that to count Glossies we need to cover as many watering points that we can.

Graham & Dionee Russell

Melanie Baulch also participated at a dam in Binya State Forest – says she was on her my own surrounded by Brush Bronzewings and a Swamp Wallaby came to drink. No Glossy Black Cockatoos to be seen or heard. She has since seen three there – see page 2 for picture and story.

Penny and Pillip Williams have written and captured images of their encounters:

Whilst we didn’t see any Glossies, Phil was walking along the bank of the dam, and looked to one side to see a large snake, a Red-bellied Black, moving beside him. He was alerted by a “hiss” sound. He gave it plenty of space and it headed away from the dam and into the trees.

In a hollow of a dead tree close to the dam was a large Lace Monitor . Could we detect a satisfied smail on its face? What had it found in that hollow?

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The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 5 - Issue #236 April 2016

Our Visit to Robbie’s Second Home

While some members had a weekend in the High Country, Rowena and I had a week in Portland, Victoria with the Victorian Nature Photography Group.

Portland is not far from the South Australian border and one day we took the opportunity to visit Piccaninnie Ponds a short distance into South Australia. It was to the Ponds that Robbie, the Bittern, flew to as a mere 4 month old. (It took us 10 hours of driving to get to Portland – Robbie flew non-stop!) Robbie has since flown back to the Coleambally area and back again. – I think he came back too early and found the rice had not grown tall enough for him. His location in January was in Long Swamp on the Victorian side of the border.

Piccaninnie Ponds are features in a karst landscape (limestone) with the main attraction a flooded sink hole called The Chasm. Scuba divers can with the required permits and qualifications go down to 40 feet and still have enough clarity in the water to have perfect vision. Below this is a system of limestone caves and caverns only the most skilled can enter. Water is constantly seeping out of the limestone creating a large wetland area of open pools and dense Cumbungi - just right for a Bittern.

There is also a kilometre long walk starting in the coastal sand dunes and ending in a raised boardwalk reaching into one of the ponds.

A bit further west along the Nelson – Mt Gambier Rd is another turnoff to Pick Swamp. This is a recent rehabilitation success having turned a drained, farmed area back into its swampy former self, attracting many waders and other waterbirds. It was actually Robbie’s first point of call on his first flight south much to the gratification of the committee that undertook the rehabilitation work.

Any naturalist visiting Portland has to take in the Gannet colony on the headland at Danger Point behind the aluminium smelter. This colony is an overflow from the one on Lawrence Rocks just off the headland; there were about 200 birds there this year. A wire fence cuts of the headland to protect the birds, but by arrangement the group arranged to be taken through the locked gate one evening.

This year Victoria has had very little rain and the dryness was very apparent. Compared with a previous visit the flowers apart from Coast Paperbark Melaleuca squarrosa and Sweet Bursaria Bursaria spinosa were poor this year. However a local member told us of a walking track north of Portland, part of the Great South West Walk, that had several Hyacinth Orchids; both the Spotted and Rosy Dipodium pardalinum, Dipodium roseum.

Our accommodation was at the Baptist Church Camp at Allerstree east of Portland. It is now privately owned but still run on the same lines. The advantages of staying there was that one could just walk across the road and down onto the beach. Great for photographing the numerous coloured seaweeds that get washed up. It is easy to reach three National Parks, Mt Richmond, Lower Glenelg, and Cobboboonee, with Mt Eccles not too far away for a change of scenery. As the excellent company of the VNPG, the interesting evening talks, not to mention the abundant photography tips freely discussed, we had a terrific week on the coast.

Eric Whiting

Photos Piccaninnie Ponds (top right), gannet colony (above left), Hyacinth

Orchids (Spotted left, Rose right) above

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The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 6 - Issue #236 April 2016

Lachlan Fold

Some members contributed to the Rankins Springs Glossy Black Cockatoo count organised by the Lachlan Fold Belt …. Now Rankins Springs is not on the Lachlan, so how did the Group come up with the name Lachlan Fold Belt. What is the Lachlan Fold Belt?

400 million years ago only the western half of Australia existed and then as part of the super continent Gondwanaland.

What is now east of a line from the Lofty and Flinders Ranges up past Broken Hill and up to the Cape York Peninsula was a deep oceanic trench. That line, called the Tasman Line, was also just north of the equator with the rest of Gondwanaland to the south. Although Gondwanaland was moving southwards, another plate was approaching faster from the north and sliding underneath Gondwanaland (possibly the North American Plate which with Eurasia joined Gondwanaland to become Pangea. Part of Tasmania has much in common with North America.

The collision formed island arcs just like the islands to our north – Papua New Guinea, Indonesia. Like the latter the old island arcs were volcanically active. Behind the island arcs the continental edge was buckled into mountain building fold belts. The Lachlan Fold Belt is one of these and was active from around 350 – 300 million years ago. Material for the mountains came from a previous fold belt the Kanmantoo Fold Belt closer to the Tasman Line and also from the other plate either scraped off as it slid under or from deeper down as re-melted magma.

Mountain debris formed sedimentary rocks – sandstones and siltstones that now form the Cocoparra Ranges and others in that north-south line. To the east from Grong Grong up through Weethalle and Ungarie areas, molten magma pushed upwards but did not reach the surface of the time. Erosion over the millennia now exposes these rocks as granite rises.

After the Devonian Period fresh fold belts formed further from the Tasman Line, now showing as the western slopes of the Dividing Range (Cowra, Young, Tumut line) building up the rest of eastern Australia, before this period of mountain building ceased. (After 50 million years of existence Pangea broke up again leaving Gondwanaland and Laurasia to part company.) Later Gondwanaland began to break apart with the final stage of Australia breaking away from Antarctica.

All this breaking and colliding of plates does not only just affect the plate boundaries. Pressures developed or released causes ripples running back thousands of kilometres. So although the hills around here were formed some 300 million years ago there is still some geological

activity. The latest was that minor earthquake felt at West Wyalong last month. And Australia is the most stable of the continents!

Eric Whiting Source for illustrations: The Geological Evolution of New South Wales – A brief review Mineral Resources NSW

Forces driving plates

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The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 7 - Issue #236 April 2016

Unusual sightings in the Riverina

The Eastern Koel is a migratory cuckoo that returns to the Australian mainland in early spring to breed. It is generally confined to the coastal regions and extends to the mid-south coast of NSW.

However, in recent years Koels have been reported in Victoria indicating an extension of their range further south. They are now frequently reported in the Melbourne area.

It seems that they are extending their range further west in NSW as well with regular reports from the New England area and my brother in Tamworth has reported them breeding there in recent years. For our area, there are few recent records. I had one report from Dave Egan a few years ago of a bird calling in Yenda but there have been no confirmed sightings until this year when birds were heard in both Leeton, by Keith

Hutton and Phil Tenison, and in Narrandera by Nella Smith and Neville James.

Phil pursued the Leeton bird one Saturday morning in the park opposite his place but didn't actually get a confirmed sighting until the bird led him on a merry chase as far as the Leeton Swimming Pool where he finally had a clear view of it. Unfortunately his camera played up and he missed getting a photo of the bird. After that the bird wasn't heard again.

In Narrandera, Warrick Bradney finally tracked their bird to confirm a definite sighting there.

Despite there being no reports of the bird in the Griffith area, Sue Chittick-Dalton sent me a photo taken on the lawn of the home of Tori Horder in

the Yoogali area. The bird is a juvenile Eastern Koel and would be the first breeding record for the Riverina that I am aware of – see photo taken by Tori and sent to Sue who passed it onto me to record.

The birds usually parasitise the nests of Red Wattlebirds or Pee-wees or orioles – birds that build cup-shaped nests. I remember reading a study over 10 years ago about the Red Wattlebirds and Koels. It found that the Red Wattlebirds seem to have a symbiotic relationship with the Koels in that the wattlebirds were observed to go to nest in early spring well before the Koels arrived in order to have a clutch of their own. Once their young fledged, the wattlebirds would go to nest again just when the koels had arrived in numbers, thus risking their second nest to be parasitised by the cuckoos. At least they managed to have a clutch of their own before the young cuckoo hatched and pushed out the eggs of the wattlebird's second nest.

Also of note was a report in November of a Regent Honeyeater at the Lake Talbot Caravan Park in Narrandera. It was seen drinking from a spray that was watering the lawn at the park – see photo.

Nella and I went looking for it the next day without success and the bird wasn't reported after that one sighting. It also represents a first for Narrandera. The bird was possibly on its way to Chiltern or somewhere where they are more usually found in Spring.

Finally, a visiting Sydney couple, Clinton and Jenny Wood, staying at the Oasis Caravan Park in Leeton in March reported and photographed a Turquoise Parrot in the grounds of the park. It could be an escaped bird from a local aviary but we'll never know as it wasn't seen again apart from that one sighting.

Max O’Sullivan

Photos: Juvenile Eastern Koel (top) by Tori Horder

Regent Honeyeater (above) by Heather Bingham

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The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 8 - Issue #236 April 2016

These sightings are from members’ observations. Please check with the relevant person before quoting any record.

Australian Shelduck [62] Fivebough Wetlands 02/03/16 Keith Hutton Sharp-tailed Sandpiper [10] Fivebough Wetlands 02/03/16 Keith Hutton Masked lapwing [50+] Fivebough Wetlands 02/03/16 Keith Hutton Black Falcon [1] Fivebough Wetlands 02/03/16 Keith Hutton Glossy Black Cockatoo [pr] Back of Mountain Dam property 05/03/16 Graham Russell Yellow-throated Miner [6] Mountain Dam property 05/03/16 Graham Russell Little Friarbird [15] Mountain Dam property 05/03/16 Graham Russell Birds returned at the same time last year. Blue-tongue Lizard Audley St, Narrandera 06/03/16 Roy Wade Brown Goshawk [imm] Cutler Ave, Griffith 07/03/16 Virginia Tarr Red Wattlebird [2] Cutler Ave, Griffith 07/03/16 Virginia Tarr Variegated Wren [family] Cutler Ave, Griffith 07/03/16 Virginia Tarr *Spotted Nightjar Koonadan via Leeton 07/03/16 Peter Draper Major Mitchell's Cockatoo [5] Mountain Dam property 07/03/16 Dionee Russell Rainbow Bee-eater [6] Old Hillston Rd Dam 07/03/16 Virginia Tarr Turquoise Parrot [2] Old Hillston Rd Dam 07/03/16 Virginia Tarr *Spotted Nightjar Old Hillston Rd Dam 07/03/16 Virginia Tarr Blue-faced Honeyeater Melbourne St Narrandera 08/03/16 Betty Bradney Birds have returned to Betty's garden to feed on her flowering protea. Grey-crowned Babbler [12] McNabb Cres., Griffith 10/03/16 Sue Chittick-Dalton Major Mitchell's Cockatoo McNabb Cres., Griffith Daily Sue Chittick-Dalton Blue-faced Honeyeater McNabb Cres., Griffith 10/03/16 Sue Chittick-Dalton Superb Wren [5] Galah Dam, Binya State Forest 10/03/16 Virginia Tarr Turquoise Parrot [2] Galah Dam, Binya State Forest 10/03/16 Virginia Tarr Mulga Parrot [10+] Galah Dam, Binya State Forest 10/03/16 Virginia Tarr White-browed Woodswallow [12]Mallee Dam, Binya State Forest 10/03/16 Virginia Tarr Masked Woodswallow [6+] Mallee Dam Binya State Forest 10/03/16 Virginia Tarr *Pied Honeyeater [1] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 12/03/16 Neil Palframan Magpie Goose [20+] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 12/03/16 Neil Palframan Plumed Whistling-duck [150+] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 12/03/16 Neil Palframan White-bellied Sea-Eagle Campbells Swamp, Griffith 12/03/16 Neil Palframan Freckled Duck [8+] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 12/03/16 Neil Palframan *Turquoise Parrot [male] Oasis Caravan Park, Leeton 12/03/16 Clinton Wood Clinton took a photo of the Turquoise Parrot – unexpected siting and possibly an escaped aviary bird. Superb Parrot [8+] Oasis Caravan Park Leeton 12/03/16 Clinton Wood Photo taken just after the severe storm passed through – birds were photographed flying through the park. Blue-billed Duck [pr] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 13/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Great Crested Grebe [2] North Lake Wyangan 13/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Musk Duck [6+] Griffith settling ponds 13/03/16 Max O'Sullivan *Eastern Koel [juv] House garden of Tori Horder Griffith early March Tori Horder See article and photo elsewhere in the newsletter. Glossy Ibis [20+] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 14/03/16 Nella Smith Pallid Cuckoo [imm] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 14/03/16 Nella Smith Plus all the ducks Neil reported above on 12/03/16. *Painted Button-quail [pr] Barry Scenic Drive Binya State Forest 17/03/16 Max O'Sullivan *Little Bittern Campbells Swamp, Griffith 17/03/16 Max O'Sullivan White-winged Wren [12] Tuckerbil/Koonadan Leeton 19/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Only one partially coloured male was seen. White-faced Heron [50+] The Basin Dam, Koonadan 19/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Brolga [6] Fivebough Wetlands flying in. 20/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Chestnut Teal with 7 ducklings Fivebough Wetlands settling pond 24/03/16 Keith Hutton This is the first breeding record for this species for Fivebough according to Keith's records.

M E M B E R S ‘ S I G H T I N G S

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The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 9 - Issue #236 April 2016

Intermediate Egret [5] Fivebough Wetlands 24/03/16 Keith Hutton Little Egret [1] Fivebough Wetlands 24/03/16 Keith Hutton Wood Sandpiper [4] Fivebough Wetlands 24/03/16 Keith Hutton Chestnut Teal [60] Fivebough Wetlands settling ponds 24/03/16 Keith Hutton Black Falcon [1] Fivebough Wetlands 24/03/16 Keith Hutton Australian Spotted Crake [1] Fivebough Wetlands 25/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Spotless Crake [1] Fivebough Wetlands 25/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Buff-banded Rail [1] Fivebough Wetlands 25/03/16 Max O'Sullivan The above species were seen together in one of the drying ponds. Glossy Ibis [3] Fivebough Wetlands 25/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Sharp-tailed Sandpiper [15+] Fivebough Wetlands 25/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Red-capped Plover [male] Fivebough Wetlands 25/03/16 Max O'Sullivan This is the first time this plover has been seen for a few months. Little Eagle [juv] Gogeldrie Weir via Leeton 27/03/16 Virginia Tarr Red-capped Plover [6] Fivebough Wetlands 28/03/16 Keith Hutton Marsh Sandpiper [1] Fivebough Wetlands 28/03/16 Keith Hutton Black-fronted Dotterel [7] Fivebough Wetlands 28/03/16 Keith Hutton Wood Sandpiper [1] Fivebough Wetlands 28/03/16 Keith Hutton Pectoral Sandpiper [2] Fivebough Wetlands 28/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Little Eagle [2] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 29/03/16 Lorna Mee *Blue-billed Duck +3 ducklings Campbells Swamp, Griffith 29/03/16 Lorna Mee Baillon's Crake [1] Campbells Swamp, Griffith 29/03/16 Max O'Sullivan White-bellied Sea-Eagle [pr] Lake Wyangan (South lake) 29/03/16 Lorna Mee Emu [6] Irrigation Way in a ploughed paddock 31/03/16 Max O'Sullivan Glossy Black Cockatoo [3] Wattle Dam, Binya State Forest 02/04/16 Melanie Baulch Restless Flycatcher Wattle Dam, Binya State Forest 04/04/16 Max O'Sullivan

* indicates 'very unexpected sightings'.

Report from the Stakeholder Information Session #2 of the Lake Wyangan & Catchment Management Strategy Project on 16 March at Lake Wyangan school.

The two speakers from Water Technology, Melbourne based, had been gathering monitored information of this area, landforms, water inlets, water quality, rainfall, farm run-off, etc. Also input from the first rowdy meeting they held earlier to compile an optional strategy in dealing with better water quality and the Algal Bloom problem of Lake Wyangan, north and south.

The speaker, Christine stated that our lake algae was only moderate. The Murry River was dangerously high. Murrumbidgee River is high in areas.

The main problems are:

The high phosphate levels and other minerals in the water. The carp and water turbulence stirring up the sediments releasing the phosphate. The high sediment, pollutants and debris draining into the lake. Being a low lying depression, there is not any drainage out. Therefore it has a high mineral content

due to evaporation. Bordering farmers are not pumping out due to cost which is greater than channelled water. Old septic systems on nearby dwellings.

There were good discussions of combating the above problems that included Griffith council, Murrumbidgee Irrigation, Landcare, bordering farmers, water sports users and Anna Pistillo of Wetland Consultants.

A draft of the best options will be drawn up and presented at the Griffith Library in June 2016.

Anyone who is out at the lake is requested to take photos of other run-off, pollutants, rainfall stats, etc and send them to Water Technology. May need to ring Griffith City Council, Neil Southam, for the email address.

They also spoke about funding which is required to fulfil certain strategic ideas such as aerating, constructing holding wetlands to filter the water before reaching the lake, Planting vegetation, removing carp, etc. The council will provide (I guess, a grant) towards the improvements. Murrumbidgee Irrigation will monitor water allocation in and out to improve flows.

Virginia Tarr.

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The Murrumbidgee Naturalist - 10 - Issue #236 April 2016

**** C O M I N G E V E N T S ****

14 April Thursday Monthly Meeting in the Yellow Room at the Leeton Library,

Sycamore St., Leeton commencing at 7.30pm.

Topic: Members' short presentations.

Contact: Penny Williams 6953 3524

Email: [email protected]

15 April - 22 April Biodiversity survey Nombinnie Nature Reserve – northern part

It will be bush camping with no facilities; you must be totally self-

sufficient including water.

Contact Nella Smith on 6959 1210 or email [email protected] if

interested in attending for any or all of the above dates.

17 April Sunday Narrandera Annual Koala Count

10:00 to 12 noon at the Narrandera Common.

Note: it will be held the following Sunday if weather is bad.

Contact: Betty Bradney 6959 2901

10 to 17 April - Wild Pollinator Count is over the week of the 10 to 17 April

An opportunity to participate in your local environment. Just spend 10

minutes watching any flowering plant and note the insects which land on

it. Specific names are not required just general like ant, moth, hover, fly

etc, Submit your observations. See last December’ newsletter for an

article by Eric Whiting. Details can be found at

http://wildpollinatorcount.com/count-pollinators/

1 May Sunday Outing: Walk around Campbells Swamp:

Meet at the car park at 8am. Bring morning tea and lunch if planning to

look at other areas like Lake Wyangan.

Contact Max on 6953 4726 if intending to come.

4 May Wednesday Copy for the May newsletter is due. Please send to Rowena.

Email: [email protected]. Phone: 6953 2612.

12 May Thursday Monthly Meeting in the Yellow Room at the Leeton Library,

Sycamore St., Leeton commencing at 7.30pm.

Topic: TBA

Contact: Penny Williams 6953 3524

Email: [email protected]

Other events

1 – 10 October Australian Naturalists Network Get-together for 2016 will be held in at

Woodman Point Recreation Camp, Western Australia. Details from

Penny Williams [email protected]